Habituation and resocialization of a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee :: Longitudinal monitoring of physiological and behavioral responses

Paula Serres Corral; Dietmar Crailsheim; Olga Feliu; Bernat Salelles; Annaïs Carbajal; Manel López Béjar

doi:10.1007/s10329-026-01240-9

Habituation and resocialization of a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee : Longitudinal monitoring of physiological and behavioral responses

Paula Serres Corral, Dietmar Crailsheim, Olga Feliu, Bernat Salelles, Annaïs Carbajal, Manel López Béjar

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Resum

Els canvis ambientals, com ara les transferències i les introduccions socials, poden ser una font important d'estrès en animals salvatges. El control de la resposta fisiològica mitjançant glucocorticoides és una eina eficaç per avaluar com s'adapten els animals a aquests canvis. En aquest estudi hem seguit l'habituació i la integració social de Suzie, un antic ximpanzé mascota i d'entreteniment confiscat i traslladat a un centre de rescat de primats. Els nostres objectius eren (1) controlar els nivells de metabòlits glucocorticoides fecals durant la rehabilitació i (2) investigar com factors relacionats amb l'associació (per exemple, nombre d'individus, edats dels socis d'associació) influïen en els seus nivells de metabolisme i comportament social durant les associacions amb ximpanzés residents. En total hem recollit 169 mostres fecals de Suzie al llarg de 10 mesos i les hem quantificat mitjançant immunoassaig enzimàtic, juntament amb 38 mostres oportunistes dels ximpanzés residents. Durant les sessions d'associació s'han enregistrat esdeveniments agressius i afiliatius. Els nivells de glucocorticoides en la femta de Suzie oscil·laven entre els 11,01 i els 113,04 ng/g de femta. Després d'un període d'ajust de quatre mesos (118 dies) abans del retorn a l'activitat hormonal basal, les concentracions de glucocorticoides es van alinear amb els nivells mitjans individuals dels ximpanzés residents (rang: 24,19±7,99 a 29,69±8,93 ng/g de femta). La presència d'un individu intermediari durant les associacions va influir en la probabilitat d'esdeveniments afiliatius (p <0.01). A més, les condicions socials inicials dels ximpanzés residents van influir en la dinàmica social, i els esdeveniments agressius tenien més probabilitats de produir-se mentre s'interactuava amb individus allotjats en grups socials durant la infància, i els esdeveniments afiliatius eren més probables d'ocórrer mentre s'interactuava amb aquells allotjats sols (p <0.05). Les nostres troballes subratllen el valor del control no invasiu de les hormones i l'avaluació conductual per entendre millor les experiències individuals.

Idioma original	Anglès
Pàgines (de-a)	187-197
Revista	Primates
Volum	67
Número	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-026-01240-9
Estat de la publicació	Publicada - 2 de febr. 2026

SDG de les Nacions Unides

Aquest resultat contribueix als següents objectius de desenvolupament sostenible.

ODG 10 – Reducció de les desigualtats
ODG 15 Flora i fauna terrestres

Accés al document

10.1007/s10329-026-01240-9

https://ddd.uab.cat/record/326397

Altres arxius i enllaços

Com citar-ho

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title = "Habituation and resocialization of a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee :: Longitudinal monitoring of physiological and behavioral responses",

abstract = "Environmental changes, such as transfers and social introductions, can be major sources of stress in wild animals. Monitoring the physiological response through glucocorticoids is an effective tool to assess how animals cope with and adjust to these changes. In this study, we followed the habituation and social integration of Suzie, a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee confiscated and transferred to a primate rescue center. Our objectives were to (1) monitor her fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels throughout rehabilitation, and (2) investigate how association-related factors (e.g. number of individuals, ages of association partners) influenced her FGM levels and social behaviors during associations with the resident chimpanzees. A total of 169 fecal samples from Suzie were collected over 10 months and quantified using enzyme immunoassay, along with 38 opportunistic samples from the resident chimpanzees. During association sessions, data on aggressive and affiliative events were recorded. Suzie{\textquoteright}s FGM levels ranged from 11.01 to 113.04 ng/g of feces. After a four-month adjustment period (118 days) before returning to basal hormone activity, her FGM concentrations aligned with individual mean levels of the resident chimpanzees (range: 24.19 ± 7.99 to 29.69 ± 8.93 ng/g of feces). The presence of a broker individual during associations impacted the likelihood of affiliative events (p < 0.01). Furthermore, early social housing conditions of the resident chimpanzees influenced social dynamics, with affiliative behaviors being more likely to occur while interacting with individuals who were housed in social groups during infancy, and aggressive events being more likely to occur while interacting with those housed alone (p < 0.05). Our findings underscore the value of non-invasive hormone monitoring and behavioral assessments to better understand individual experiences.",

keywords = "Cortisol, Pan troglodytes, Rescue center, Resocialization, Social behavior, Stress",

author = "\{Serres Corral\}, Paula and Dietmar Crailsheim and Olga Feliu and Bernat Salelles and Anna{\"i}s Carbajal and \{L{\'o}pez B{\'e}jar\}, Manel",

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doi = "10.1007/s10329-026-01240-9",

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T1 - Habituation and resocialization of a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee :

T2 - Longitudinal monitoring of physiological and behavioral responses

AU - Serres Corral, Paula

AU - Crailsheim, Dietmar

AU - Feliu, Olga

AU - Salelles, Bernat

AU - Carbajal, Annaïs

AU - López Béjar, Manel

PY - 2026/2/2

Y1 - 2026/2/2

N2 - Environmental changes, such as transfers and social introductions, can be major sources of stress in wild animals. Monitoring the physiological response through glucocorticoids is an effective tool to assess how animals cope with and adjust to these changes. In this study, we followed the habituation and social integration of Suzie, a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee confiscated and transferred to a primate rescue center. Our objectives were to (1) monitor her fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels throughout rehabilitation, and (2) investigate how association-related factors (e.g. number of individuals, ages of association partners) influenced her FGM levels and social behaviors during associations with the resident chimpanzees. A total of 169 fecal samples from Suzie were collected over 10 months and quantified using enzyme immunoassay, along with 38 opportunistic samples from the resident chimpanzees. During association sessions, data on aggressive and affiliative events were recorded. Suzie’s FGM levels ranged from 11.01 to 113.04 ng/g of feces. After a four-month adjustment period (118 days) before returning to basal hormone activity, her FGM concentrations aligned with individual mean levels of the resident chimpanzees (range: 24.19 ± 7.99 to 29.69 ± 8.93 ng/g of feces). The presence of a broker individual during associations impacted the likelihood of affiliative events (p < 0.01). Furthermore, early social housing conditions of the resident chimpanzees influenced social dynamics, with affiliative behaviors being more likely to occur while interacting with individuals who were housed in social groups during infancy, and aggressive events being more likely to occur while interacting with those housed alone (p < 0.05). Our findings underscore the value of non-invasive hormone monitoring and behavioral assessments to better understand individual experiences.

AB - Environmental changes, such as transfers and social introductions, can be major sources of stress in wild animals. Monitoring the physiological response through glucocorticoids is an effective tool to assess how animals cope with and adjust to these changes. In this study, we followed the habituation and social integration of Suzie, a former pet and entertainment chimpanzee confiscated and transferred to a primate rescue center. Our objectives were to (1) monitor her fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels throughout rehabilitation, and (2) investigate how association-related factors (e.g. number of individuals, ages of association partners) influenced her FGM levels and social behaviors during associations with the resident chimpanzees. A total of 169 fecal samples from Suzie were collected over 10 months and quantified using enzyme immunoassay, along with 38 opportunistic samples from the resident chimpanzees. During association sessions, data on aggressive and affiliative events were recorded. Suzie’s FGM levels ranged from 11.01 to 113.04 ng/g of feces. After a four-month adjustment period (118 days) before returning to basal hormone activity, her FGM concentrations aligned with individual mean levels of the resident chimpanzees (range: 24.19 ± 7.99 to 29.69 ± 8.93 ng/g of feces). The presence of a broker individual during associations impacted the likelihood of affiliative events (p < 0.01). Furthermore, early social housing conditions of the resident chimpanzees influenced social dynamics, with affiliative behaviors being more likely to occur while interacting with individuals who were housed in social groups during infancy, and aggressive events being more likely to occur while interacting with those housed alone (p < 0.05). Our findings underscore the value of non-invasive hormone monitoring and behavioral assessments to better understand individual experiences.

KW - Cortisol

KW - Pan troglodytes

KW - Rescue center

KW - Resocialization

KW - Social behavior

KW - Stress

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DO - 10.1007/s10329-026-01240-9

M3 - Article

C2 - 41627606

SN - 0032-8332

VL - 67

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JO - Primates

JF - Primates

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